Line finder



Feb. 7, 1928.' 1,658,499

H. A. STEVENS LINE FINDER Filed Ney. '4, 1926 This invenion reines in n2pc...

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A TORN Y Patented F eb. 7, 1928 .UNITED STATES HERBERT A. STEVENS, OFENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

LINE FINDER.

Application led November 4, 1926. Serial No.1146,104.

This invention relates to a line finder for the use of copyists andparticularly typists, and aims to provide a simple device especiallyadapted for indicating the line to be copied,

to replace such makeshift devices as rulers,

eraser shields and the like, which have heretofore been used by typistsfor this purpose.

Objects of the invention are to indicate a line to be copied withoutobscuring any part of the copy, to hold the copy securely in position,and to rest the eyes of the copyist. A line finder embodying theinvention in a form which I now consider most desirable consists of amassive slab of transparent material having on an intermediate part ofits under surface the indication of a line. Most desirably, the lineindication is made without the use of any opaque material`r so that nopartof the co y is obscured, but the use of a thin line in ication ofopaque material, which obscures only a small partv of the copy is withinthe contemplation of the invention.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shownin the accompanyingdrawings:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the preferred form of line finder in operative.relation to a sheetl of copy.

. 2 is a sectional end elevation of the line finder shown in Fig. 1, ona larger scale. In the sectional View, Fig. 2, the thickness of thelayer 12 (hereinafter referred to) is exaggerated for the sake ofclearness, since, as a matter of fact, this layer is so thin that itdoes not project sensibly from the surface to which it is applied.

The line finder shown in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of a piece l0 of plateglass having near the middle of its under surface a line indication 11,which is provided by'covering about one-half of the under surface with athin layer 12 of transparent coloring material, such as green Frenchvarnish. The width of the piece 10 is atleast as great as the length ofthe lines A, B, C on the copy D, while the vheight of the piece issufficient to enable several lines of the copy to be seen through it.The thickness of the piece is sufficient to give it weight .enough tohold a sheet of paper in position when placed upon it. I have found athickness of ML satisfactory.

f In the use of the device, it is placed upon the copy D with the lineindication 1l just below the line B which is to be copied, and

is moyed down overthe copy as each line is copied. Since all parts ofthe piece 10 are transparent, the copyist may, if necessary,

look back at the lines A or ahead at the lines C on theV copy withoutmoving the device. A further advantage of the complete transparency isthat the device, unlike the makeshift line finders heretofore used.Idoes not obscure any interlineations in the copy. Since the lineindication 11 is at or near the middleof the piece 10 and consequentlyat some distance from its upper and lower edges 13,14, such refractionas occurs at these edges, in no way interferes with the copyists view ofthe line B of the copy which is aty the line indication 11, nor of thelines A immediately above and the lines C immediately below.

'An important advantage of the device, which was ascertained by actualuse, is that it rests the eyes of the copyist., This is because theglass Vfilters out the infra-red and ultra-violet rays, which cause eyestrain. As the light which reaches the eyes of the copyist has tov passtwice through the glass,

and as the glass is thick, the filtering effectis considerable. f

The Vparticular device described may be modified Without departing fromthe invention. Thus the linie indication 10 maybe produced by treatingboth parts or either part of the lower surface of the glass in any wayto give them a difference in ap kpearance without interfering with theirtransparency, Thus the portion of the lower surface ofthe glass. whichis covered by the layer 12 in the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,may instead be etchedk with an acid to an extent whichy gives it awhitish appearance without making it obscure the copy `Whenplaceddirectly upon the copy.

comprising a slab of transparent material plate glass having on one ofits surfaces la and transparent means giving a portion of layer oftransparent coloring matter terone surface of the slab at one side of anmnating at a straight line spaced from the 10 intermediate straight linean appearance diedges of the piece. 5 ferent from that of the portion atthe other n testimony whereof I have hereunto set side thereof to rovdeaf line indication. my hand.

3. A line n er, comprising a piece of HERBERT A. STEVENS.

